


The Fruit of Knowledge

by fiery_flamingo



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: AU, Community: sortinghatdrabs, Drabble, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-23
Updated: 2011-05-23
Packaged: 2017-10-28 09:32:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/306458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiery_flamingo/pseuds/fiery_flamingo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newly appointed Professor Granger does something thoughtful for her new coworkers. Some people are more appreciative than others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fruit of Knowledge

Hermione Granger was cold, hungry, and trapped in the dungeons. It would all be very dark and sinister if it weren't for one: her plight being self-imposed, and two: it being a dungeon _corridor_ in Hogwarts.

Mostly, Hermione reflected, it was just rather pathetic.

Then, for the fourth time in ten minutes, Hermione raised her hand to knock on the door before her and then lowered it on second (or third, or fourth) thought. She knew she was being ridiculous and had already made the decision to never tell Harry or Ron about the current and probably near future events. Hermione Granger, First Order of Merlin and newly appointed Hogwarts professor would not be outdone by a door. Even if that door belonged to Severus Snape.

And yet, it seemed to be winning.

Taking a step back, Hermione reconsidered her approach. While she thought about her strategy--retreat was looking promising--she rolled the reason for her predicament between her hands.

Giving apples to the other professors as a gift had seemed like a lovely idea before. They were simple and cheap but filled with symbolism, especially for teachers. As the fruit of knowledge, they had graced the desks of many an appreciated and beloved teacher. It had seemed fitting that the newest professor and a former student of Hogwarts present them to her new colleagues, a sign that while she was a peer, she still respected that they had knowledge yet to bestow on her.

Now, she winced at all that heady symbolism, ripe to be sneered and disdained by a professor almost universally reviled, even--or maybe especially--by herself. Only a truly Gryffindor sense of fairness and equality had convinced her that even Snape deserved an apple.

The only thing that pushed her toward knocking was the fear that Professor Snape would, at some point, leave his office and would thus catch her loitering without any good excuse, apple not withstanding.

When her knuckles finally landed on her sixth try, it was a half-hearted effort. The happy thought had occurred to her that he may not even be in his office. Not even Professor Snape could deny that it was a lovely fall afternoon and though she had never personally seen it happen, he could have decided to take a walk through the grounds.

Her hopes were dashed, however, when the latch to the door clicked open and a familiar droll voice commanded her to enter.

"Apologies for intruding, Professor Snape, I only want a moment," she began apologizing as soon as she stepped through the door, trying to rationalize her presence.

"What, Miss Granger?" It was his only acknowledgement. His focus remained on the parchment before him on his desk.

The improper title would not have bothered her from any other professor. But from him, like so many innocuous things, it sounded like an insult.

"Beg your pardon, sir, but it's _Professor_ Granger now."

Now, he looked up and Hermione suddenly remembered that it was much worse to be noticed by Professor Snape than to be ignored. "Yes, I was present for your coronation, _Miss_ Granger," he sneered. "But I cannot fathom why you came all the way to my office to tell me something I already knew."

Involuntarily, she huffed, a habit so reminiscent of her time as a student that she felt she might as well have just handed the victory to him. "I brought you an apple, as a gift." She presented the fruit, placed it firmly on the desk and spitefully hoped it bruised. "I gave all the professors one."

Dark eyes flicked from her to the apple and back again. "You are several years too late to be bribing me with fruit, Miss Granger."

"It's a sign of appreciation for all that the professors of Hogwarts have taught me." The words could barely escape her mouth, her jaw was so clenched.

To all the other professors, she'd had a personalized statement, some tale of something they had taught her that had helped her in her life. She'd even had something nice to say to Professor Trelawney though it had taken her hours to think of the most conscientious was to say 'thank you for teaching me and my friends the art of the bare-faced lie' but to Snape, who had truly taught her much, she couldn't bring herself to say a word.

"How sentimental," he drawled. Then he returned to his papers. "At least you have saved the house elves the effort of bringing me my lunch."

"An unexpected benefit," Hermione chirped with false cheerfulness while inside she seethed. "Enjoy, professor. I will not detain you any longer."

Seeing her chance to escape, she turned and tried to flee as gracefully as possible.

He called after her retreating form. "I prefer green apples, Granger. For the the next time you decide to bring me my lunch."

Since he could not see her face, Hermione allowed herself the great pleasure of rolling her eyes and did not reply. She also noted the lack of _Miss_ and decided to count that as progress.

Closing the door behind her with a pointed gentleness, she thought the ungrateful bat could get his own bloody green apples next time.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the weekly drabble competition at sortinghatdrabs on Livejournal. Prompt: a picture of an apple and books. Took first place! Woo!


End file.
